Why Was Purple the Color of Royalty? And More Questions From Our Readers (2024)
Q: I’ve heard that purple was called the royal color because purple dye used to be scarce. Why didn’t people just combine blue and red?Dan Warnock | Baker City, Oregon
Manypurples in historic fabrics are, in fact, the result of coloring a fabric with a blue dye, like indigo or woad, and a red dye, like madder. But the “Tyrian purple” associated with royalty—believed to have originated in Phoenicia (modern Lebanon) as early as 1200 B.C.—was made by extracting mucus from snails found along the Mediterranean Sea through an expensive, labor-intensive process. Ancient writings suggest this dye was desirable not only for its brilliant hue, but also for its ability to stay colorfast over time. Similar sea snails are found across the world, and some cultures, like the Mixtec weavers in Oaxaca, Mexico, still use them for dyes today. —Jennifer Cohlman Bracchi, head librarian, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
Q: Are there any invasive species that have actually improved U.S. ecosystems?Frank Gregorio | Manassas, Virginia
The short answer is no, since invasive species are, by definition, species that threaten the native ecosystem. Many arrive accidentally, stowing away in containers or escaping gardens. Sometimes non-native species are introduced with good intentions—for instance, to help prevent soil erosion or to keep other non-native species under control. But anytime a non-native species is introduced to an ecosystem, there’s a risk that the newcomer will replace local species by attacking or outcompeting them. The best approach is to avoid introducing them altogether. —Gary Krupnick, head of the Plant Conservation Unit, National Museum of Natural History
Q: How did the body of a violin get its shape?Edwin Anderson | Glendora, California
Bowed instruments have existed for more than a thousand years, but early examples, like those found in Arab lands, had only a few strings and lacked a narrow “waist.” By the 1400s, instrument makers in Spain were building viola da gambas with as many as seven strings. These instruments were built with narrow waists so musicians could bow the top and bottom strings without hitting the sides. It’s generally accepted that Andrea Amati in Cremona, Italy, built the first four-string violin in the 16th century, following the general shape of the viola da gamba. The violin family (including violin, viola and cello) was refined by his grandson, Nicolo Amati, and Nicolo’s followers, including Antonio Stradivari. —Gary Sturm, curator emeritus, National Museum of American History
Q: Does the brain of a butterfly or moth retain memories from when it was a caterpillar?Philip G. Grant | Pasadena, California
We once believed metamorphosis completely dissolved the caterpillar and rearranged its components. But in a study published in 2008, caterpillars were trained to associate the smell of ethyl acetate with a mild electrical shock. Emerging adults showed a similar aversion to the smell of ethyl acetate without a shock as they did as larvae when paired with the shock, suggesting that some synaptic pathways had been retained. So, while adult moths and butterflies probably don’t remember the details of what it was like to be a caterpillar, certain associative memories can persist into adulthood. —Floyd Shockley, entomology collections manager, National Museum of Natural History
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The color purple has been associated with royalty since ancient times, in large part because the murex shellfish-based Tyrian purple dye (aka Royal purple or Imperial purple), produced by the Phoenician city of Tyre during the Bronze Age, was very expensive to make and thus only the wealthiest classes, including the ...
So only the elite could use purple dye. These associations with extravagance and aristocracy persist to this day. The color purple became associated with wealth and royalty because, oftentimes, the rich were the only individuals who could afford clothing and other household items that were dyed purple.
❣️Purple combines the calm stability of blue and the fierce energy of red. The color purple is often associated with royalty, nobility, luxury, power, and ambition. Purple also represents meanings of wealth, extravagance, creativity, wisdom, dignity, grandeur, devotion, peace, pride, mystery, independence, and magic.
People surveyed in the United States and in Europe associate purple color with royalty, rarity, piety, magic, and mystery. When combined with pink, purple is also associated with femininity.
In fact, Queen Elizabeth I forbad anyone except close members of the royal family to wear it. Purple's elite status stems from the rarity and cost of the dye originally used to produce it. Purple fabric used to be so outrageously expensive that only rulers could afford it.
Prince was known for his affinity for the colour purple, which he built into his music, fashion and persona. Purple represented his individuality, creativity and spiritual depth. Also the colour of royalty and of his father's musical instrument, Prince's use of purple established him as a pop icon.
The modern English word purple comes from the Old English purpul, which derives from Latin purpura, which, in turn, derives from the Greek πορφύρα (porphura), the name of the Tyrian purple dye manufactured in classical antiquity from a mucus secreted by the spiny dye-murex snail.
As a once-royal color, purple symbolizes wisdom, power, spirituality, luxury, wealth and nobility. Since it is between red and blue, purple is known for the combination of red's power and blue's stability. The color purple also symbolizes independence and dignity.
Mixing blue and red together makes purple. The colour of your hue will be determined by the amount of blue and red you add to it. For instance, when more red is added to your purple, it will become redder; when more blue is added, it will become bluer.
In terms of the quality of its storytelling, The Color Purple movingly depicts the growing up and self-realization of Celie, who overcomes oppression and abuse to find fulfillment and independence. The novel also had an impact because of its feminist themes and the frank way it addresses gender equality and sexuality.
Purple is beautiful mixture of red and blue: it's both warm and cool and combines the power and energy of red and the sadness and tranquility of blue. Shades of purple communicate originality, brilliance, and visionary thinking.
Throughout The Color Purple, Walker portrays female friendships as a means for women to summon the courage to tell stories. In turn, these stories allow women to resist oppression and dominance.
"The Color Purple" touches on several main important themes: religion, race, sexuality, and the different kinds of violence that come with being a Black woman in the South. We see Celie struggle with her faith, writing letters to God, and losing trust in him until Shug helps her.
But the title undoubtedly comes from a passage near the end of the novel, in which Shug says that she believes that it "pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it."
The color purple holds symbolic meaning in the Bible, representing royalty and nobility. Jesus being draped with a robe of purple in John 19:2 highlights his exalted status as the King of Kings. The color's association with wealth and power emphasizes Jesus' divine kingship and his rightful place as the ultimate ruler.
Tyrian Purple was associated with the rank of royalty in the ancient civilisations of Rome, Japan, Persia, Egypt and Constantinople, dating back as far as the 16th century BC.
White for Purity, Gold for Wealth; Purple, Violet, and Blue for Royalty and Piety. This gallery shows pictures from the 16th-19th centuries of high ranking or royal people featured in these colors.
Introduction: My name is Pres. Carey Rath, I am a faithful, funny, vast, joyous, lively, brave, glamorous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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